Friday, September 14, 2012

Liese
Sherwood-Fabre from Dallas, Texas is back to share excerpts of her books. After earning a PhD from Indiana University, she worked with the federal goverment and lived internationally for
fifteen years in Africa, Latin America, and Russia. Since her return to the US, she has seriously pursued her writing career.. Her debut novel Saving Hope, a
thriller set in Russia, is available from Musa Publishing. Corazones, collection of literary short
stories, is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Please take a moment to let Liese know how you liked the excerpt at the end of the post—Ruby Johnson

Book Blurb: Saving Hope

Deep in Siberia in one of the Soviet Union’s former closed
cities, Alexandra Pavlova, a talented and unemployed microbiologist, struggles
to save her daughter’s life. She turns to her oldest friend for help and is
drawn into Russia’s underworld. His business dealings with the Iranians come to
the attention of Sergei Borisov, an FSB (formerly the KGB) agent, and Alexandra
finds herself joining forces with Sergei to stop the export of a deadly virus
in a race to save both her daughter and the world.

Excerpt:

She’d heard nothing, merely
became aware of his presence beside her. She flinched, dropped her keys, and
bolted toward the stairs. The man picked up her keys and grabbed her arm in one
fluid movement.

“Don’t run off, Alexandra Alexandrieva.
You won’t get very far without these,” he said in a low voice.

He straightened himself and
dangled the ring from one finger in front of her face. His slight smile
suggested her attempt to get away amused rather than annoyed him. “Besides, I’m
not going to hurt you.”

“I thought you were someone
else,” she said, glancing down at the hand still on her arm.

She squinted at him, trying to
make out his features in the hallway’s half-light. “Who are you?”

“So rude of me. Borisov, Sergei
Andreivich, at your service,” he said, giving a short bow. “I work for the
FSB.”

She swallowed hard, trying to
keep her face still and hide her shock. The KGB by any name still made her
stomach jerk in fear. “I’ve done nothing.” Her level voice didn’t betray her
racing heart. “What interest would federal security have in me?”

“We’ve been watching you for a
while.”

“You’ve mistaken me for someone
else.”

“Pavlova, Alexandra
Alexandrieva. Born August 16. Widow of Yuri Ivanovich Pavlov. Daughter,
Nadezhda Yuriyevna Pavlova, currently spending the night with her grandparents.
Shall I continue? We do have the right person. You caught our eye some time
ago. As soon as you left your job at the Institute.”

“That was several years ago. Any
information I have would be of no use to anyone.”

“We’re not interested in what
you used to do. We already know that. We’re interested in what you’re doing
now.”

“Typing letters? I’m afraid
that’s rather boring.” A sound from a floor below made the man cock his head.
Footsteps clicked on the tile floor and echoed in the stairwell as their owner
descended the stairs. “Perhaps we should continue this discussion inside?”

“I have nothing to share with
the FSB.”

“Did you know your friends
Vladimir and Ahmed have been seen recently in the company of an Iranian?”

“And?”

“No one has asked you about your
work at the vaccine lab?”

“No.”

“As you can tell, Alexandra
Alexandrieva, we know a lot about you and your family. I can assure you we plan
to keep our eye on you.”

“The FSB must have nothing to do
these days if you’re following me around.”

“Your father died in service to
his country. We want to make sure you don’t dishonor his memory.”

“I’ve done nothing to dishonor
him. And I resent the implication I have or would.”

“We want to make sure you
continue his memory. We’re here to make certain the Motherland he so
unselfishly served remains for the future. You do care about the future, if
nothing else, for your child?” His voice lifted at the end, and his gaze met
hers, challenging her to deny either her love for her country or her daughter.~~~

Book Blurb for Corazones:

A
collection of three award-winning literary short stories exploring the impact
of love. “A Stranger in the Village,” nominated for the 2007 Pushcart Prize,
describes how the arrival of a young woman into a Mexican mountain village
changed sixteen-year-old Hector forever. “Sacrifice” offers an Aztec tale of
political intrigue and love. Doña Rosa, a market-place curandera, assists the
lovelorn through the heartache of infidelity.~~~